Abrasive handtool

ABSTRACT

An abrasive handtool for removing rust or similar films from pipes, rods and the like in which the tool is provided with a molded body of plastic or other yieldable material and has one or more openings therein presenting abrasive surfaces for receiving the pipe or rod, the body being compressible manually to urge the abrasive sides of the opening into contact with the pipe to polish the surface thereof. One or both ends of the body may present cylindrical surfaces for polishing the inner surface of a pipe.

United States Patent Martin 154] ABHASKVIE HANDTG OIL Robert W. Martin, 1057 Pennington Road, Trenton, NJ. 08618 {22] Filed: Sept. 3, 11970 [21] Appl.No.: 69,339

[72] lnventor:

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 858,408, Sept. 16,

1969, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl ..511/394 51] Int. Cl i ..1B24d 111/00 Field of Search ..51/394406, 358,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Sauer 15/179 [4 1 Jan. 18, W72

Johnson ..51/392 Jobbs ..l5/179 Primary Examiner0thell M. Simpson Att0rney-Sperry and Zoda [5 7] ABSTRACT An abrasive handtool for removing rust or similar films from pipes, rods and the like in which the tool is provided with a molded body of plastic or other yieldable material and has one or more openings therein presenting abrasive surfaces for receiving the pipe or rod, the body being compressible manually to urge the abrasive sides of the opening into contact with the pipe to polish the surface thereof. One or both ends of the body may present cylindrical surfaces for polishing the inner surface ofa pipe.

12 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMIBM 3.634.982

sum 2 or 2 INVEN'IOR. Qoeeru- W. MAM/u BY W M A TTOQNEYS ABRASIVIE HANDTOOL RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No, 858,408 filed Sept. 16, 1969, now abandoned and is related to applicants issued Design US. Pat. No. 2 17,952 dated July 7, I970 and copending Design Application Ser. No, D24,755 filed Aug. 28, 1970.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to handtools which present abrasive surfaces for cleaning or polishing cylindrical objects such as pipes, rods and the like. Such tools are used to prepare the inner and outer surfaces of pipes for soldering or otherwise securing the ends of pipes together. For this purpose the tool should be simple and easy to use and inexpensive to produce.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In those forms of the invention disclosed herein the tool consists of a body of molded plastic or other yieldable material which is generally rectangular or elongated in form and has a slot extending lengthwise thereof so as to render the sides of the body relatively flexible. The slot further is provided with enlarged rounded openings at one or both ends thereof for receiving the pipe or rod to be cleared. The body, or at least the pipe-engaging surface thereof, is provided with abrasive material so that when a pipe is inserted into the opening the sides of the body may be squeezed to press the abrasive against the surface of the pipe. Relative rotation of the tool and pipe will then serve to clean the surface of the pipe and prepare it for a soldering operation.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective illustrating one typical embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a very similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the manner in which the tool of FIG. 1 may be used;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view ofan alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective illustrating a further embodiment of the present invention, and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the construction shown in FIG. 4.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION In that form of the invention chosen for purposes ofillustration in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tool has the form of a generally rectangular or elongated body 2 having opposite side edges 4 and 6 and is provided with a slot 8 which extends through the body and is located generally parallel to and approximately midway between the side edges 4 and 6.

At one, and preferably at both ends of the slot 8, rounded openings as shown at 10 and 12 extend through the body 2. The openings 10 and 12 are greater in diameter than the width of the slot 8 and communicate with the slot 8 adjacent the opposite ends of the slot. The openings 10 and 12 preferably also are of different diameters so that they may receive pipes or tubes of different diameter to polish or clean the same.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the opposite ends of the body 2 may be provided with extensions 14 and 16 which preferably are generally cylindrical in form or otherwise present outer rounded surfaces. The projections 14 and 16 preferably are of different diameters which are in turn somewhat less than the diameters of the openings 10 and 12 respectively These projections then may be inserted into the end of a pipe or tube for cleaning and polishing the inner surface thereof adjacent the end ofthe tube.

The inner surfaces 18 and 20 of the openings 10 and 12 respectively and the outer surfaces 22 and 24 ofthe extensions 14 and 16 respectively of the body 2 are provided with abrasive material which preferably is embedded in the material of which the body is formed. In any event the body 2 should be formed of yieldable or flexible material such as plastic, rubber or the like whereby the opposite side edges 4 and 6 of the body may be manually squeezed or pressed inward toward the slot 8, so as to reduce the width ofthe slot and the diameter of the openings 10 and 12 in the body.

That form of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is generally similar to the construction of FIGS. I and 2. However, the elongated body 50 of the tool has side portions 52 and 54 on opposite sides ofthe central slot 56 which are better shaped to fit the hand and permit inward flexing of the side portions upon squeezing the tool in the middle of the body. The end portion 58 of the body 50 extends about the rounded opening 60 at one end of the slot 56 whereas the end portion 62 of the body extends about the rounded opening 64 at the other end of centrally located slot 56. The openings 60 and 64 are of different diameter and designed to receive the ends of tubes or pipes of different diameter to polish the outer surfaces of the tubes or to remove rust or other foreign matter therefrom when the central portion ofthe body 50 is squeezed to urge the abrasive inner surfaces of the openings against a tube or other cylindrical member inserted therein.

The body 50 has extensions 66 and 68 projecting from the opposite ends thereof. These projections are of generally cylindrical shape and of different diameters adapted to be slipped into the ends of pipes or tubes to clean or polish the inner surfaces thereof near the ends of pipes or circular openings in any member. The extension 66 is preferably of approximately the same as the diameter of the opening 60 in the body 50 while the diameter of the extension 68 is about the same as the diameter ofthe opening 64 in the body of the tool.

Further as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 the extensions 66 and 68 are each provided with a narrow slot 70 which extends inward from the outer end of the projection to a point within the body 50 and terminates in a small rounded opening 72 spaced from the adjacent opening at the end ofthe central slot 56. The narrow slots 70 are located in a place passing through the body of the tool on the centerline of the tool and midway between the opposite sides of the slot 56 in the tool, The slots 70 serve to divide the extensions 66 and 68 into substantially similar semicylindrical halves. Therefore, when an extension is inserted into the end of a pipe or tube of substantially the same inside diameter as the outer diameter of the extension, the slot 70 will allow the outer ends of the semicylindrical halves of the extension to move together slightly so as to facilitate insertion of the extension into the pipe. Thereafter upon squeezing the side portions 52 and 54 of the body together the outer ends of the semicylindrical halves of the extension will tend to spread apart as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5. The abrasive surfaces on the outer sides of each half of the extension will then be urged against the inner surface of the pipe being cleaned so as to improve the effectiveness of the cleaning action when the tube and tool are relatively rotated.

The tool as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is further provided with shoulders 74 at opposite ends of the body 50 and extending outward from the extensions 66 and 68 at substantially right angles to the cylindrical walls of the extensions. The shoulders 74 not only aid in limiting or indicating the depth to which the extension has been inserted into a pipe or tube but also serve to clean and smooth the cut or terminal end ofthe tube. In this way the tool can be used to clean and polish the tube on the inner, outer, and end surfaces thereof whereby soldering, brazing and other operations can be performed more effectively.

The tools of the present invention are simple and economical to produce and for this purpose may be die-cut from a sheet of plastic material to form the body and the slot and rounded openings therein. If and when the tool further includes projections for insertion into the end of a pipe such projections may be formed on the body in cutting or punching it out of a sheet of plastic material. The projections may thereafter be rounded off as desired. The body of plastic material may have abrasive material or grit distributed throughout the plastic material from which the tool is made or the abrasive material may be applied to and embedded in or bonded to the surfaces of the rounded openings and projecting elements on the body. This may be accomplished by means of fusion or a solvent or by the application of an adhesive to the grit and surfaces of the tool which are used in cleaning or polishing rods. tubes. pipes or other cylindrical objects.

What is claimed is:

1. An abrasive tool for manually cleaning the surface of a cylindrical object comprising an elongated body formed of yieldable material and provided with a slot extending through said body generally parallel to opposite side edges of the body, said body having at least one rounded opening having a diameter greater than the width of said slot extending through said body and communicating with said slot adjacent an end of the slot, the inner surface of said rounded opening having abrasive material exposed thereon, said opposite side edges of the body being manually movable inwardly toward said slot to reduce the diameter of said rounded opening and press said abrasive material against a cylindrical object positioned within said opening.

2. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 1 wherein the opposite ends of said slot are closed and rounded openings ofdifferent diameter extend through said body adjacent and in communication with the opposite ends of said slot.

3. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said body is formed ofmolded plastic material and said abrasive material is embedded in said plastic material.

4. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one end of said body is provided with a projection presenting a generally cylindrical outer surface having a diameter somewhat smaller than the diameter of the rounded opening in said body.

5. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 2 wherein said body consists of a substantially flat block of molded plastic mate rial containing abrasive material exposed throughout substantially all of the exposed surfaces ofthe body.

6. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 4, wherein said body is provided with projecting means presenting generally cylindrical outer surfaces ofdifferent diameter.

7. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 4 wherein said body has a shoulder formed thereon adjacent said extension.

8. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 7 wherein said shoulder extends outwardly at substantially right angles to the cylindrical outer surface of the extension.

9. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 2 wherein said body has cylindrical extensions projecting from the opposite ends thereof and the external diameters of said extensions are approximately equal to the internal diameters of the openings which communicate with the opposite ends ofsaid slot.

10. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 4 wherein said extension has a slot extending therethrough dividing the extension into substantially similar semicylindrieal halves.

11. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 10 wherein the slot in said extension lies in a plane extending longitudinally of the tool midway between the opposite sidewalls of the slot in the body of the tool and the outer ends of the halves of the extension are movable outward upon squeezing of the portions of the body ofthe tool at opposite sides ofthe slot in said body.

12. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 11 wherein the slot in said extension terminates in a relatively small rounded opening. 

1. An abrasive tool for manually cleaning the surface of a cylindrical object comprising an elongated body formed of yieldable material and provided with a slot extending through said body generally parallel to opposite side edges of the body, said body having at least one rounded opening having a diameter greater than the width of said slot extending through said body and communicating with said slot adjacent an end of the slot, the inner surface of said rounded opening having abrasive material exposed thereon, said opposite side edges of the body being manually movable inwardly toward said slot to reduce the diameter of said rounded opening and press said abrasive material against a cylindrical object positioned within said opening.
 2. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 1 wherein the opposite ends of said slot are closed and rounded openings of different diameter extend through said body adjacent and in communication with the opposite ends of said slot.
 3. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said body is formed of molded plastic material and said abrasive material is embedded in said plastic material.
 4. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one end of said body is provided with a projection presenting a generally cylindrical outer surface having a diameter somewhat smaller than the diameter of the rounded opening in said body.
 5. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 2 wherein said body consists of a substantially flat block of molded plastic material containing abrasive material exposed throughout substantially all of the exposed surfaces of the body.
 6. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 4, wherein said body is provided with projecting means presenting generally cylindrical outer surfaces of different diameter.
 7. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 4 wherein said body has a shoulder formed thereon adjacent said extension.
 8. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 7 wherein said shoulder extends outwardly at substantially right angles to the cylindrical outer surface of the extension.
 9. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 2 wherein said body has cylindrical extensions projecting from the opposite ends thereof and the external diameters of said extensions are approximately equal to the internal diameters of the openings which communicate with the opposite ends of said slot.
 10. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 4 wherein said extension has a slot extending therethrough dividing the extension into substantially similar semicylindrical halves.
 11. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 10 wherein the slot in said extension lies in a plane extending Longitudinally of the tool midway between the opposite sidewalls of the slot in the body of the tool and the outer ends of the halves of the extension are movable outward upon squeezing of the portions of the body of the tool at opposite sides of the slot in said body.
 12. An abrasive tool as defined in claim 11 wherein the slot in said extension terminates in a relatively small rounded opening. 